Appearing on the ‘Pardon My Take’ podcast, Rooney was asked which player he preferred and instantly replied: “Messi”.

Asked why he selected the Barca number 10, he added: “Yeah, I think I’ve said this before, but they’re both probably the best two players to ever play the game.

“I just think Messi is, in my eyes, the greatest ever.”

Messi and Ronaldo struggled to consistently replicate their brilliant club form at the just concluded 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

Messi scored only one goal during the competition against Nigeria and were subsequently knocked out by eventual champions, France, while Ronaldo scored a hat-trick in his opening game against Spain and then the winner against Morocco, but his influence waned as Portugal were eliminated by Uruguay in the last 16.